I have been asked a couple times to do cakes for a funeral. I always have a hard time with how to decorate. How do you decorate cakes for funerals?

Ok, I can't help myself I have a goulish sense of humor. When I first saw your question a coffin came to mind and made me laugh.

I'm so bad I know where I'm going

When I was asked, I asked them what they had in mind. They chose the regular roses and such,they also asked for petit fours. Nothing special...very simple.

HTH

Patricia

The petit fours seem perfect

Thanks, I always ask what they have in mind but some people say "whatever you think is best". I would hate for my cake to be unappropriate and was wondering how everyone handles these requests.

Book cake.
Can put a favorite scripture.
I like "Well done good and faithful servant".

The cross cake decorated with a floral spray.
Put atop a sheet cake for a larger crowd and decorate.

hello everyone..

I have seen several...
white cakes with roses in the deceased favorite colors;

cakes covered with chocolate fondant & decorated with just a few simple white flowers;

book cakes, with flowers in the corners & the book mark in fondant with a name or something simple like: remembering, or farewell, or a spiritual messages;

Calla lillies are also very popular;

and I have also seen cakes decorated with a 'life story' (little decorations about the person's life, occupation, kids, etc).

I hope this gives you a couple of useful ideas.
ciao

hello everyone..

I have seen several...
white cakes with roses in the deceased favorite colors;

cakes covered with chocolate fondant & decorated with just a few simple white flowers;

book cakes, with flowers in the corners & the book mark in fondant with a name or something simple like: remembering, or farewell, or a spiritual messages;

Calla lillies are also very popular;

and I have also seen cakes decorated with a 'life story' (little decorations about the person's life, occupation, kids, etc).

I hope this gives you a couple of useful ideas.
ciao

I made one for my neighbor. If you look under my photos on page 1, you'll see it. Take a look and see if you think it might fit your needs.

Frankly, I wouldn't have wanted a cake with any writing on it or any reference to the deceased when members of my family have died. There have been enough tears shed without a cake setting you off again. An simply decorated sheet cake that can be easily cut would fit the bill nicely, perhaps a cake that is pre-scored with small flower on each piece.

Wow, I just did one to give to someone today and I struggled with what to do.....they wanted a lemon cake with lemon icing to feed to family afterwords. Actually I didn't decorate other than making the peaks all over it with a spoon just so it would look better than an iced cake. I was also considering a cornelli lace but due to time constraints I couldn't do it. Would have been elegant but not joyful I think. She loved it even during this sad time!

Narie, that's a good idea. "Keep it simple". People react differently to funerals.

Slightly off subject but just to illustrate what I mean, I think it is TERRIBLE to send a live plant to a funeral with the thought of "That way they can take it home afterward." Good lord, what makes you think that I want a souvenier of my husband/sister/child's funeral sitting on my coffee table! But.......!!!! I know a number of people who LUV taking live plants home after the funeral. My way and their way.... either one isn't right or wrong .... we just react different.

That's why I agree with the "keep it simple" solution. 'Coz you never know.

I've only done one... it's in my gallery... and I did a two tone chocolate so that the color was subdued, chocolate roses with basketweave and then the saying " To everything there is a season". The family loved it. It is a difficult subject to decorate for in my mind as I love doing flowers in all sorts of colors, which is just too cheerful for a wake.

I did one this last week. It wasn't going to be on display whole but precut in the kitchen so I just embosed the top and sides with a papertowel that had a pretty design and then added some small dots in pink that fit in the design of the paper towel. That way each piece had some design and it didn't matter what size the pieces were.

I've got to agree with Janette,
It just doesn't sounds appropriate.My brother just died last week,My family said "I hope ur not making a cake of a coffin of some sort" No thats just 1 order I can not do sorry

I think the circumstances make a huge difference, if the passing was sudden or of a young person the cake may be different than if it was for someone who had been suffering and had a peaceful death. When my father passed 1 1/2 years ago he had Lymphoma and the passing was expected, we were all greatful for his pain and suffering to be over. We all had the oppertunity to say our goodbys and tell him how much we love him and will miss him. The funeral was a huge celebration of his life with tons of pictures and flowers. It sounds odd but people still tell me it was the nicest funeral they have ever been to.
I think a cake with beautiful flowers and scripture would have been perfect.
Every family deals with death differently and we need to respect that as well.
If it was for a sudden passing a more muted simple cake would be appropriate.
Tracy

Because faith is such a personal issue, it makes me wince to think of using scripture on a funeral cake. It would be a totally different issue if the family said, "Mom always quoted (fill in the blank), and we would like that on the cake." But to just pull something "profound" out of the air puts one at risk of being offensive, IMHO.

I'd go for simple and pretty, if it was a woman. Simple and dignified if it was a man. If the person was a veteran and was proud of that fact...MAYBE a bit of red, white and blue. But, that can be overdone, too. No huge, waving flags or white chocolate eagles.

I might just go for taste alone and do nothing but borders just to neaten things up.

Less is definitely more in this case.